


Monsters and Angels

by anallisonoriginal



Category: B.A.P.
Genre: Based off of Noir and One Shot music videos, Family, Just action, No Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2018-12-27 19:29:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12087816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anallisonoriginal/pseuds/anallisonoriginal
Summary: Yongguk and Himchan have achieved their dreams, but one man could destroy them all.





	1. Yongguk

        My father always said I’d never amount to anything; my head was too high up in the clouds, my dreams were too big for the son of a factory worker. He’d roll his eyes at me when I’d bring home yet another broken down car, calling the hard-earned money and time I poured into those vehicles a waste, but I saw them as investments, refusing to believe all I was good for was being another cog in the mass production cycle. I was going to make something more out of myself, and I had busted my ass to make my dreams a reality, earning the rush of pride that hit me every time I pulled up to the shop.  
       Turning my bike off and popping out the kick stand, I took a minute to admire it. 1004 Automotive was small, just enough room for two lifts, plus the shop in the back we had had to take a loan out to build; but everything from the grease-stained floors and up was mine and Himchan’s, my best friend and business partner. We had grown up next door to each other, and his calm and cool exterior hide a cunning mind and backbone of steel, the perfect complement to my spontaneous and fiery personality. We had made quite the pair, him always dressed impeccably, me in my oil stained pants and permanently blackened fingertips, but he was the yang to my yin, the number-cruncher and scheduler; and I knew the shop would fail without him.  
     Speaking of the devil, my phone vibrated with a text from Himchan, wondering where I was. I didn’t bother to reply, walking up to the door and pulling it open, letting the sounds of clanking tools, whirring machines and rock music tell me I was home.  
     “Hey boss!” Youngjae and Daehyun called out in unison, their faces just innocent enough to tell me they had been goofing off just moments before I walked in.  
I smiled at them, but laced my voice with a warning tone as I said, “Mr. Park’s car better be ready by noon today—he is not someone I want on my bad side.”  
      “Yes sir!” Youngjae said, immediately ducking back under the hood, but Daehyun was silent until I raised my eyebrow at him. Only then did the sandy blonde flash his easy smile and say, “yes hyung,” flipping his wrench before lying down on a creeper and rolling under the car.  
     “Yongguk, you’ve got a call on your private line,” Himchan said from his desk, covering the mouthpiece of the main phone with his hand, cigarette dangerously close to his ear.  
     “Thanks Chanie. I thought you quit.”  
      Himchan smiled his cryptic smile. “We all have our vices.”  
     “Ain’t that the truth,” I said, smiling slightly.  
     We had joked that we should have called the shop Vices, because that was our true merchandise. Sure, you could bring your car in for a tune-up or if something was broken and my boys would fix it quickly and for cheaper than any shop around. But, that private line in my office, the one only I answered, was for people who wanted more and didn’t want anyone to know about it. Vices are what had made this shop become a reality, as my tinkering with those beater cars had taught me how to get more out of an engine, and how to make it look like nothing was out of the ordinary, and before I knew it, I was known for being the best. It had been Himchan who came up with the idea of the shop, an already present dream, but making use of my talents. He had crunched the numbers, dressed up and asked for loans, and combined with my tinkering, we were well on our way to being rich—and proving our families wrong.  
    “Gukie, your call,” Himchan said softly, breaking me out of my thoughts.  
    “Right,” I said, heading to my office, only to be waylaid by my youngest mechanic, Zelo.  
    “Hyung, I want you to meet someone,” the youth shouted, dragging a smaller boy after his gangly form. “This is Jongup, he needs a job, whatdoyousay?”  
    He grinned down at me, and I tried to make it seem like I was actually considering saying no, even though he and I were both aware of the giant soft spot I had for him. I couldn’t help it. He had started hanging out around the shop years ago, and all of us had been taken with him, kind of adopting him as the unofficial shop mascot. But our bond had deepened when his stepfather had kicked him out two years ago, and I had given him my couch to sleep on for a few days and a job at the shop cleaning up. Now, he had his own bedroom, ate most of my food, and was a mechanic, and I was damn proud of the kid. But as I appraised his friend, I wondered if my spot was soft enough.  
     It wasn’t the blue hair or the tattoos on his neck; Zelo and Daehyun changed hair colors monthly, and I had ink myself. It was something in the way he stood; guarded, keeping his weight on the balls of his feet as if he was ready to dart away at a moment’s notice, and his eyes darted around the shop, the only movement in his otherwise blank face. I didn’t like that I couldn’t read him. It was like looking at a dog and being unsure of what he would do to your hand if you extended it.  
     My eyes darted over to Himchan, but all he did was raise an eyebrow, his own misgivings in his eyes, but the set of his mouth telling me this decision was all mine. He might keep my mechanics in line most of the time, but I called the shots. With a sigh, I turned to look at Zelo, and that was my first mistake. The pleading look in his eyes was my downfall, and I caved—my second mistake.  
I turned to Jongup. “You know your way around a car?”  
    “No, but I’m a quick study… and I’m good with my hands,” he said softly, probably trying to sound respectful, but all I heard was the hiss of a snake before it attacked.  
    “Trail basis then,” I said, fishing for my lighter, needing the calming motion of flicking it open and shut more than an actual cigarette, cursing under my breath when I realized it was still at my girlfriends place.  
    “Yongguk, your call’s getting antsy.”  
    “I’m going now,” I snapped, wincing instantly and shooting him an apologetic look. “Zelo, get Jongup some coveralls and show him around,” I ordered, turning to go into my office, shedding my leather jacket as I did so.  
    If I had had eyes on the back of my head, I would have been able to see Jongup’s gaze zero in on the gun I kept at the small of my back, and I would have seen the sly smirk cross his lips. If I had, I could have changed my mind, said no to Zelo, and stop it all from happening.  
    But you know what they say, hindsight is always twenty-twenty, and I know this better than most.


	2. Himchan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was late. Yesterday was busy/bad. I'm going to try to post every Wednesday though! Enjoy!

            My favorite part of the day was when I first arrived at the shop. None of the mechanics have come in yet, so the only sound in the garage is the hum of the fluorescent lights and the click of my lighter as I settle into my chair—or my throne as Zelo calls it, and wake the computer up, the spread sheet that outlined which car needed to worked on, pick-ups, drop-offs and billing filling the screen. I blew out a plume of smoke as I checked the day schedule, the orderly boxes and colors giving me a sense of peace. This was my happy place, order and routine. I knew that in ten minutes, Youngjae would show up, always so worried about being on time, and then Zelo—Jongup now following behind him. Daehyun would be last, just beating the clock, that wide smile somehow making it alright.

            The boys liked to tease me by calling me mother hen, but I liked it, was used to the role. My mother and father hadn’t been the most present parental figures; my father had walked out by the time I was three, and my mother had worked two jobs to make the ends meet. It had been up to me to keep things going around the house—even though my sister was older, I had found I liked cooking and cleaning, and fell into the role naturally. So when Yongguk had started to collect his strays, I had fallen back into old habits, making sure Youngjae ate enough, Zelo actually washed his coveralls instead of just rubbing at the oil stains with a wet cloth, and Daehyun was keeping his temper under control. Before I knew it, we became a family, one that tight-knit and had each-others back, and I’d give everything to make sure it stayed as such.

            I jumped slightly when the side door opened, the unearthly squeak it had developed lately echoing through the shop. Grumbling under my breath, I wrote a note on a sticky note to get some damn oil for the thing before raising my eyebrows at surprise when the person shuffling through the door, coffee tumbler in hand, was not Youngjae, but Yongguk.

            “You’re in early,” I said.

            “That rush job is being picked up today, and I need to do a test drive—best to do it early, less cops. Is Dae in yet?”

            “No, he probably won’t be in for another twenty minutes if he holds to his usual pattern.”

            “I told him to be early today,” Yongguk sighed, words almost swallowed by the chattering of Youngjae and Zelo as they tumbled into the shop, Jongup a silent shadow.

            “Good luck with that,” I chuckled, shaking out another cigarette.

            Yongguk had been trying to groom Daehyun into someone who could be a partner in the business someday, maybe help us expand, but the younger man could be less than reliable. But damn, was he a good mechanic. Even I, who knew only the basics about cars, could see it; the way he could revive a transmission everyone else thought was dead, or wring every last inch of power out of an engine. He was the perfect person to follow in Yongguk’s footsteps, if only he’d show up on time.

            “I could help you,” Jongup offered, face carefully blank, but I could see the hunger in his eyes.

            “It looks like Daehyun is here, thank you though,” Yongguk said, relief briefly flashing across his face.

            Daehyun was in fact here, early for once, kissing his girlfriend Euna goodbye. She was, in my opinion, Daehyun’s saving grace. He had been into some bad things—just what he didn’t say, and we didn’t ask. But he’d met her one night at a coffee shop, and fallen hard. I still remember the day he had come in after their first date. Something was different about him, the shadows that had once haunted his eyes dissipated slightly.  Kissing noises sounded through the garage, and I looked up to see Daehyun glaring at Zelo, Euna giggling in his arms. She waved sweetly at Youngjae and Zelo as they yelled hello, then gave Daehyun one last kiss before she left. Jongup’s eyes lingered on the door closing behind her a little too long, and I stood up, stepping into his line of sight.

            “You have work to do,” I said quietly, matching Jongup’s steely stare with one of my own, waiting until he had dropped his gaze to the floor. Then, and only then, did I turn to address the rest of the gang. “And all of you lazy bums need to get to work,” I said jokingly, waving my hands at the boys with a smile.

Chuckling, they dispersed; Yongguk and Dae disappearing into the back, Zelo tugging Jongup towards the car they had started working on yesterday while Youngjae flicked on the radio and grabbed the keys for his first car of the day. And just like that, the day fell into its normal routine. Dae came back from the drive and immediately joined Youngjae at his car, trading one-liners that had Zelo cracking up from under his car, and me smirking at my desk. Cars left and arrived, Yongguk came out to check on things—everything was as it should be. Until after lunch.

            Everyone had gone to get lunch but me and Yongguk; I had paperwork, and his girlfriend had called just as he was heading out. But the quiet of the shop allowed me to hear the shouting coming from outside, a familiar voice rising above the din.

            “Yongguk, get out here now,” I shouted, leaping out of my chair and slamming the door to open the garage door, ducking under once there was enough room for me.

            I was just in time to stop Zelo from leaping into the fight, grabbing him by his shirt and throwing him back towards Jongup. I had just enough time to notice the feral look on the new hires face and the wicked looking knife at his side before I shoved my way past the people surrounding the brawl. As I expected, Dae was in the middle, trading punches with a man I recognized as a lieutenant in the local gang that operated in this area, but what I hadn’t expected was Youngjae being held by another gang member, bottom lip puffy and bleeding.

            I wrapped my hand around the man’s wrist and squeezed—hard. “Let him go, now.” I said, low and mean.

            One look at my face and he did as he was told, and I shoved Youngjae towards Yongguk, who had muscled his way through the crowd, the gun he carried no longer at the small of his back but in his hand. He steadied Youngjae before guiding him towards the garage and then stepping in between Dae and Jaeho.

            “I thought I told you to leave my boys alone,” he said darkly, his deep voice rumbling in his chest.

             At that, Jaeho whirled around to face Yongguk, the crowd’s cheers fading to soft murmuring. I took this opportunity to grab Dae by his collar, pulling him out of the group and standing with the rest of the boys. The rest of the gang members separated as well, forming a half circle around Jaeho and Yongguk. The former stepped closer to Yongguk, attempting to intimidate him as he snarled, “Tell your boys to stop flirting with our girls.”

            “Last I checked, women can flirt with whomever they want,” Yongguk said coolly. “And my boys can talk to anybody they want too—although Daehyun’s girlfriend might not be too happy about it. But that’s between them, and the way I see it, I, a legitimate business man, had my employees attacked by a known gang.” His eyes narrowed, and he folded his arms, voice dropping even lower. “It’d be a shame if I had to call the cops.”

            A muscle in Jaeho’s jaw jumped as he gritted his teeth at Yongguk’s threat, then he scowled and strode away, the others following him—not without shooting dirty looks and gestures. I waited until they had all disappeared, then herded the boys into the shop, throwing Daehyun a towel for his lip.

            “Clean that up before you get back to work,” I snapped, fingers shaking as I tapped out a cigarette.

            “Yes hyung,” he said, wincing as he wiped his mouth.

            Yongguk joined us then, the door sliding shut behind him. “Everyone okay?” he asked, the steel in his voice from earlier lingering.

            “We’ll be fine hyung,” Youngjae said, accepting an ice pack from Zelo.

            “I’ll be fine once we get those bastards back,” Jongup snarled.

            In all the chaos, I’d forgotten about him and I whirled around. His knife was still out, tapping against his knee and there was light in his eyes for once—an almost manic look of excitement.

            “Where did you get that?” I demanded, gesturing towards his hand.

            “It’s mine. Never leave home without it,” he replied, face becoming guarded once again.

            “Well put the damn thing away, there will be no getting anyone back,” I snapped, taking a deep drag from my cigarette.

            Jongup’s eyes collided with mine, and the amount of rage in those brown eyes sent icy tendrils of fear down my back. But I didn’t let it show, just blew out smoke as I stared him down. I saw Zelo and Youngjae shift nervously out of the corner of my eye, not used to someone questioning my authority. I had only had to do this once before—with an angry and authority issue filled Daehyun, but it was different this time.

            I didn’t know how this stand-off was going to end, but the sly smirk that cracked Jongup’s lips as he made a show of folding up his knife and slipping it into his pocket was not it.

            “Yes hyung,” he said, sarcasm subtly tinging his words before he turned and returned to his car.

            Shooting uneasy looks at me, Youngjae and Zelo followed suit, but it was Dae who studied the new boy with narrowed eyes, sharing a knowing look with me before heading into the bathroom. I knew he saw himself, before, but I don’t know if he saw the underlying monster I saw in Jongup—one he hadn’t had.

            “What was that about?” Yongguk said softly, coming to stand beside me.

            “I think our newest member just showed his true colors,” I murmured. “Be careful Gukkie. I don’t trust this one.”

            As if he had heard, Jongup looked over at the two of us, and I fought a shudder at the glint in his eyes even as I narrowed my own before turning to take my seat, my chair angled to keep him in my peripheral vision. The garage began to return to normal, but I couldn’t shake the sense of unease that lingered in the tightness of the muscles in my neck. Something told me I was going to regret letting this monster infiltrate my family. The only question was how long would it take.


	3. JongUp

            “You’re going to cut your finger off one of these days,” Zelo chastised as he came up behind me.

            I hissed as the tip of my knife dug into the skin under the nail I had been cleaning, shooting him a glare as I stuck my finger into my mouth. “Only if you keep sneaking up on me,” I mumbled, folding my knife and putting her away. “C’mon, we’re going to be late.”

            “Eh, so what?”

            “Maybe you have Himchan and Yongguk wrapped around your little finger, but I’m still on trial basis remember?”

            “Gukkie-hyung and Channie-hyung love you! You’ll be made a permanent member soon, I’m sure of it.”

            I rolled my eyes at Zelo’s blindness—of course he wouldn’t see what was right in front of him. But I knew that Himchan watched my every move on the floor, could feel his eyes burn into my back as I worked, and Yongguk had started side-eyeing me as he walked into his office. That little development made me grit my teeth in frustration. Goddamn Himchan. If it wasn’t for him, I’d have everyone in that garage fooled, but I hadn’t been careful enough around him, and now, I was going to have to work that much harder to get into that back room.

            1004 Automotive’s secret services were this city’s worst kept secret, and that was why I had sought out Zelo at that bar. He had shown up in his work shirt, and it had been painfully easy to take the seat next to him and strike up a conversation. It had been dumb luck that biker got pissed off at Zelo’s flailing limbs, but saving his ass had made me his new best friend, and all it had taken was a mention that I needed work and he was dragging me into the shop.

            I hadn’t expected it to be this hard however. I had thought this small of a gang, it would have been easy to work my way up the ladder. I hadn’t realized that they weren’t really a gang, more like this odd little family—painfully attached and sentimental. Now, I had a new angle to work with; it was just going to take more time than I thought—and a lot more planning.

            “See, we’re not that late,” Zelo said with a laugh as he opened the side door, jarring me out of my thoughts. “Dae’s not here yet.”

            I scoffed, following him to the break room, but Yongguk’s bass voice called me from his office door. I turned to face him, and he motioned for me to come over. Trading baffled looks with Zelo, I changed directions, threading my thumbs through my belt loops as I sauntered into Yongguk’s office, feeling Himchan’s eyes on me the whole entire time.

            “Is something wrong hyung?” I asked, taking a seat as my eyes swept around the office.

            It was the direct opposite of the order that ruled Himchan’s desk; papers were scattered around his desk, his motorcycle helmet acting as a paperweight. Random tools and parts leaked oil onto the bookshelves, which were packed with automotive manuals, biographies and books on philosophy, art and business. My eyes came to rest on a silver picture frame, Yongguk smiling at the camera with a sultry woman in his arms. He noticed my gaze and attempted to subtly rearrange the photo so I couldn’t see it, and I had to fight to keep the smirk away from my lips. He was afraid of me—good. Fear, I could work with.

            “Nothings…wrong,” he answered at last, settling into his chair. “I just wanted to inform you that your trial period is over, and as your work had been satisfactory, I have no choice but to make you an official employee.”

            He tried to smile, but I could hear the disappointment in his voice, knew that he had bene hoping I’d fuck something up so he would have had an excuse to get rid of me while saving face with Zelo. I took the opportunity to lay more guilt onto his shoulders and smiled widely, saying, “Thank you sir. It means a lot to me that you took this chance on me.”

            He smiled weakly, then cleared his throat. “There is one thing…your knife.”

            My eyebrows knotted together. “What about her?”

            “It’s not allowed on the floor. If you wish to wear it on the walk here and home, I understand. But it stays in your locker while you’re here. There’s enough dangerous equipment around here, I don’t need you slicing yourself open accidently.”

            “You carry a gun,” I said, heatedly, my hands gripping the arms of the chair.

            I realized my mistake immediately when he stood up, the same steel that had been in his voice when talking to Jaeho in his voice as he said, “I am the boss here Jongup. What I do is none of your business. Is that understood?”

            “Yes sir,” I gritted out before leaping out of the chair and storming out of the office, more mad at myself than him. I had let my anger at being separated from my knife steal my control, and I was going to have to watch myself even more around Yongguk now.

            “Everything alright?” Zelo asked, having waited in the break room for me.

            I slid my knife from my pocket, carefully sitting her on the shelf in my locker, instantly feeling like something wasn’t right not having her with me. “Yeah, I’m permanent.”

            “See, I told you they liked you,” he said with a smug smile before leaving.

            _You couldn’t be more wrong,_ I scoffed as I pulled on my coveralls and then joined him on the floor. Yongguk and Himchan were talking quietly by his desk, both of their eyes darting over to me as I grabbed a wrench and lay down on a creeper, pretending to be oblivious.

            If I was going to get anywhere here, I had two options. Get on Himchan’s good side, or separate him and Yongguk—permanently. I let a smirk spread across my lips at that thought. Maybe I’d take out Daehyun too, then, nothing would be in my way.


	4. Yongguk

            “Ready to go boys?” I asked, twirling my keys around my finger.

            “Almost,” Himchan said, brow furrowed as he tied Daehyun’s tie.

            The younger shifted nervously, his borrowed shoes squeaking as he allowed Himchan to mother him. He had showed up in a panic, various articles of clothing hanging from his hands, none of which were appropriate for tonight. Luckily, Himchan hadn’t left his house yet, and he had brought over some clothes, and had helped Daehyun scrub the grease from his hands. Now he looked like a completely different person in his pressed slacks and jacket, but I felt my lips quirk up when I saw that there was still a ring of black around his nails and within the creases of his knuckles. It was fitting, as I sometimes thought that if you’d cut Daehyun, oil would pour out rather than blood. Himchan turned to me just then, holding up a tie, and I held up my hand. “Don’t even think about it Channie. Jisoo fussed over me enough before you came over; let’s just go get this over with.”

            I walked out the door of my apartment, trusting them to follow me, and headed to the car I had… borrowed from the shop for tonight. I slid into the driver seat, Himchan into the passenger, and Daehyun in the back. Not even the roar of the engine could soothe my anxiety, and I peeled out of my driveway accidently, not used to the touchy gas pedal of a high-power car after riding my bike for so long.

            “Gukkie…” Himchan muttered, hand grasping the door handle tightly.

            “I’m fine,” I mumbled back, the white of my knuckles exposing my lie.

            The closer we got to Nior, the more my lip started to curl, until I could no longer hide my disgust at being summoned here as we pulled up to the valet stand. Daehyun liked to refer to this place as the Mos Eisley Cantina of Korea, and while I didn’t understand the reference, I understood the sentiment. It may masquerade as a classy gentleman’s club, but no amount of pretty girls in elegant dresses and jazz music could hide the darker side of what services you could buy there—for the right price. I knew I didn’t necessarily follow the rules, but I had morals, and prostitution, drugs, and gambling were against them. But when the leader of the Kumiho gang sends a message to meet him at his headquarters, you did as he said, or paid the price.

            To my surprise, it was Jaeho who opened my door, his anger at preforming such a low task for me written all over the dark scowl on his face.

            “Don’t fuck up my car,” I said, handing over my keys with a smirk.

            He glared at me as he slid into the driver seat, slamming the door shut to spite me.

            “OI!” Dae yelled, but Himchan pulled him back.

            “Leave it Dae,” he ordered, brushing off the younger’s shoulders before pulling at his sleeves. “Ready Yongguk?”

            “As I’ll ever be,” I sighed before buttoning my jacket and squaring my shoulders, striding up to the bouncer. “Mr. Moon is expecting us,” I said, letting my distaste for being summoned like a lap dog show in my tone.

            The bouncer motioned for me to spread my arms and legs, and I did so, quickly checking over my shoulder to make sure Daehyun was cooperating. He was, to an extent.

            “Sorry, ticklish,” he said with a smirk as he jerked his knee towards one of the other bouncers face, but a glare from both me and Himchan, and he rolled his eyes, letting the bouncer finish his pat-down with a sullen look on his face.   

            Once they had determined we had no weapons, we were allowed in, a pretty girl in an elegant black evening dress greeting us. “Follow me,” she said pleasantly before turning and walking down a hallway that offshoot from the main lobby.

            We did as she asked, and I smirked as I noticed Himchan watching the sway of her hips.

            “Too young for you old man,” I murmured, laughter threatening to erupt at the shocked and down-right-huffy look he shot me.

            “I am not old,” he hissed, just as our guide (who really did look too young to be in this club), stopped in front of a pair of thick black doors, effectively killing my laughter.

            “Mr. Moon is waiting for you,” she said before bowing and disappearing down the hallway again.

            “Goodie,” Dae muttered, and both Himchan and I shot him another look.

            “Cut the lip and watch your step Dae,” I said, straightening my jacket. “I want us all to make it out of here alive.”

            I waited for a nod from him, then, taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door and stepped into the inner sanctum of the Kumiho’s.

            It was how you’d expect a crime lord’s office to look; dark wood paneled walls, a glittering bar along one side of the room, a large wooden desk at the far end, and a table in the middle. My spine straightened involuntarily at the men lining the walls, hands too causally clasped in front of them. I knew that one wrong move and Dae, Himchan, and I would find ourselves staring down the barrel of whatever gun they had on them or with their hands around our necks.

            A crow of excitement called my attention to the table, where the Kumiho’s lieutenants, minus Jaeho, sat. One was raking in a pile of chips to his side of the table while the other men grumbled good-naturedly. At the head of the table sat Leetuk Moon, tumbler of amber liquid at his left, a spread of cards in his right, which he then tossed into the center of the table.

            “Deal you in Bang?” he asked, and even though his voice lilted up in a question, I knew that there was no other choice than to take a seat at the table.

            I glanced back at Himchan and Daehyun, who had positioned themselves just behind me to either side of my chair, angled in such a way that they could keep an eye on both the men behind us, and the men at the table, then turned back to the table. A smaller man in circle glasses began to flick cards around the table, tattooed fingers flying. Once he had finished, I picked up my cards and fanned them out, barely hiding my shock at my cards. My eyes flickered up to Leetuk, sensing a trap.

            His only response was to coolly declare, “I’ll start the bidding,” as he threw a few chips into the center of the table.

            We all followed suit, no one willing to admit what they had just yet. I felt rather than saw the eyebrows raise when I didn’t take any cards, but I kept my gaze blankly staring at the pot, one hand flicking my lighter open and closed.

            “Must be a good hand you’ve got there Bang,” Leetuk remarked, taking a slow sip from his glass.

            “Or I’m a good bluffer,” I said, raising my eyebrow.

            “Well, I didn’t just ask you here to play poker,” he continued, motioning for his drink to be refilled. “I wanted to apologize for Jaeho’s behavior the other day. I’m sure you saw he’s been take care off.”

            “I did notice that,” I said, running my finger over the wheel of my lighter.

            That was it? Somehow, I didn’t think so. Members of his gang had stepped out of line before, harassed my guys; and sure, Jaeho had been worse than most, eager to prove himself and to climb rank, but never before had that been cause enough to summon me to Noir.

            “I raise,” Leetuk said then, casually sliding a stack of chips into the pot, and my breath caught in my throat.

            The Kumiho’s played with for keeps, and with real money, and the amount currently represented by colorful chips in the middle of the table would pay back the loan I had out on my shop with change to spare. I flicked my eyes down at my cards, then back up at Leetuk. This was the test.

            The table was looking at me hungrily, and I realized it was my turn to bid. I took a look at my perfect hand, flicking the top of my lighter open and closed once more before sliding the cards together and placing them on the table before me.

            “I fold,” I said coolly, and I swore I saw Taeil, the dealer, smirk. Then, I stood up, buttoning my jacket. “Thank you for the game; but I’m afraid we have to get going—we start early in the morning.” I motioned towards the pile of chips on the table. “I’ll put what I owe towards your next modification.”

            “Of course, and I appreciate that,” Leetuk said with a wave of his hand. “How’s that new mechanic working out?”

            “He’s fine.”

            “Be sure to let me know if he gets out of line—my son can be hard to handle sometimes.”

            I heard Himchan inhale sharply behind me as a knife-like smile slashed across Leetuk’s face, a shiver of fear snaking down my back. Fighting to keep my face impassive, I said, “I’m sure I can handle him.”

            Leetuk’s smile grew. “Famous last words Mr. Bang. Just know my offer won’t expire.”

            I nod, keeping my face impassive, knowing Leetuk thrived off of reactions and turned to walk out the door. But once those doors had closed behind me, my hands curled into fists, and I swore I could hear Himchan’s jaw grinding. We had fought so hard to protect our family, and I had unknowingly undone all our hard work with just one choice.


	5. Himchan

             I exhaled heavily once the door to my apartment closed behind me; a feeling of peace finally settling over me. The week had been long to say the least. The second Jongup had set foot in the garage on Monday, Yongguk had been on him, yelling about how he had betrayed us and he wouldn’t let any Kumiho in his shop and to get the hell out right now.

            Everyone in the shop had frozen where they stood, shocked at the sight of Yongguk, who never let his temper show, standing toe to toe with someone they had started to view at family. The look in Jongup’s eyes had sent icy shivers down my spine, and my eyes had instantly darted down to his hands. They were empty though, and he snarled out a nasty ‘fine’, and spun on his heel, almost running over Daehyun on his way out.

            A latent shudder racked my body at the memory of the hatred that had been in his eyes, first aimed at Yongguk, and then me, and lastly Daehyun as he stormed out of the garage. I had a bad feeling that we hadn’t seen the last of him, and that crossing him would be the biggest mistakes of our lives.

            After that, the rest of the week had passed in a blur. Zelo had been sullen—mad at Yongguk for firing his friend, and the shop had been slammed as we had taken on work for four mechanics, not three. Yongguk had helped, but he had had his other projects, and I was no help at all. To say I was glad to see five o’clock on Friday come around was an understatement, and I was ready to put the week behind me, with the help of a beer or two. Jongup’s face flashed across my mind again. Make that three beers.

            As I made my way to the kitchen, I shook out the last cigarette from my pack, cursing under my breath. I had been going through them faster lately. Tossing the empty carton in the trash, I pulled open my freezer to examine the stacks of t.v. dinners I bought weekly. Yongguk gave me shit for them, but I was a single man, who worked all day, and making dinner for one person was low on my priority list.

I exhaled a plume of smoke as I thought about whether I was in a meat and potatoes mood or pasta, the nicotine from my cigarette hitting my bloodstream and calming me down, but not enough to keep me from jumping out of my skin when someone banged on my door.

            “Jesus Christ,” I muttered under my breath as I strode across my apartment, checking the peephole before opening the door to let Daehyun in. “What are you doing here?” I asked him. I hadn’t even known he knew where I lived.

            “I…um…” he stammered as he paced around my living room, ruffling his hair. “Something weird is going on, and I can’t go to Yongguk because he’s still fucking pissed and I’m afraid that if I tell him he’ll do something stupid and Leetuk’d kill him—

            His pacing had brought him closer to me, and I grabbed his shoulders. “Daehyun! What the hell are you talking about?”

            He stared at me, and I noticed the shadows under his eyes, and how his pupils were dilated with fear. “I’ve been getting notes,” he whispered. “Threatening ones—and not just against me…against Euna as well.”

            “Sit down,” I ordered, running my hands over my face as I went to get him a glass of water, and a shot, saying, “Drink this, then this,” as I handed him the whisky first, then the water.

            He winced as the alcohol burned down his throat, but once he had drained the glass of water, color was finally returning to his face, and I sat down on the coffee table in front of him. “Now, start from the beginning.”

            He took a deep breath before he began, chewing on his lip as he said, “It started maybe last month? Right around the time Jongup started. They’d appear in my locker—dumb things like ‘watch your back’. I just figured it was Z or Youngjae giving me a hard time. But then…” he paused, scrubbing his face with his hands before leaning forward and continuing. “This week, they’ve gotten nastier. And they haven’t just been in my locker—I’ve found them on my car, in my mailbox. This morning, Euna found one in the kitchen. He’s been in my house Himchan. While Euna and I…” He stopped then, dropping his face in his hands.

            “This isn’t your past coming back to haunt you?” 

            “No, this isn’t how they’d do things,” he said, lifting up his head and rubbing his eyes. “They’re not exactly the subtle type.” Then, he bit his lip and looked up at me. “I think this is Jongup.”

            I closed my eyes and sighed. “I think you’re right.”

            “What are we going to do Channie?”

            “Assume the worst—and plan for it. Get Euna out of town. Now. Do you have a gun?”

            Dae shook his head, and I stood up. “Follow me.”

            I lead him to my bedroom and unlocked the safe I kept in my closet, pulling out a gun and handing it to him, along with a holster and clip. “Take this, and Dae, if you’re in trouble and it’s the only way out—use it.”

            “Thank you, he said solemnly, sliding the clip home and tucking it into the small of his back, forgoing the holster. He turned to leave then, but paused to look back at me. “Don’t tell Yongguk about this okay?”

            I nodded, and relief flooded his face before he walked out of the room. I waited until I heard the door close behind him, before reaching into the safe and pulling out the other gun I kept locked inside. I didn’t like guns, never have, but Yongguk had insisted I had one—said since we had a business in a shady neighborhood we should be protected. I had taken it, and promptly locked it away with the gun I now held, it’s weight heavy in my hand not simply from the materials that made up the stock and barrel, but of the memories attached to it.

            With a heavy sigh, I checked the clip, then slid it in, my breath hiccupping in my throat at the soft click; then, I slid the gun into its holster, and placed it by my bed.

            Sometimes the only way to stop a monster was to let the one you kept hidden out to play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave comments and stroke my writer's ego, it's a fragile thing ;-).


	6. Jongup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's short...but trust me, it's worth it.

           I slouched against the lamppost, cleaning my nails while I watched his house. He was so stupid, leaving the blinds wide open so anyone could see in. No… not stupid. Comfortable. That’s what he was. But not for long.

            I waited until he turned off the lights before sliding my knife into my pocket and pulling my hood up, moving into the shadows and crossing the street. I kept my hands in my pockets and my pace nonchalant—just another guy taking a walk. I took my time, nodded to a couple walking their dog, before cutting up a side street to come onto the parallel street. No one was around, making it safe for me to duck down the alley, threading my way around garbage cans and trash bags. My heart was beating fast, not out of fear, but adrenaline. This was my favorite part; using the shadows to disappear, the thrill knowing that at any moment, someone could open up their door, or turn on a light. But I was the best. I never got caught.

            His backyard butted up to the alley, no fence to worry about, not even a back light on—or a lock on the back door. A smirk crept across my lips as I slowly turned the knob, and slipped inside.

            He had tried to put up a fight, and I humored him, knowing a few cuts and bruises would make the next step look more convincing before knocking him out and stuffing the bandana in his mouth. With a grunt, I picked him up, throwing one arm over my shoulder and dragging him out the back door to his car.

            It wasn’t until I had parked the car and flung up the trunk that I let a celebratory smile cross my lips. He had woken up, and was staring up at me, fear in his eyes.

            “Enjoy the ride Youngjae?” I cooed. “Don’t worry, I’m not close to being done with you.”


	7. Yongguk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold on to your seats, socks and what have you, because plot twists ahead!

           There were a lot of things I expected to see when I slide open the garage door (which no longer squealed thanks to Himchan and his trusty oil can) early Saturday morning; street vendors starting to set up shop, a few businessmen stumbling out into the sun, squinting at the brightness as they attempted to straighten their rumpled suits, and factory workers heading to work. But Jongup, white tank top ripped and stained with blood from his puffy lips, one eye swollen shut, was not one of them.

            I stared down at him, tempted to just roll him over to the curb and let the cops pick him up, just another drunk who couldn’t make it home, but then his good eye opens.

            “For you,” he mumbled, coughing wetly as he extended his hand to me, offering a thumb drive.

            Warily, I took it, walking over to Himchan’s desk and plugging into the port. There was only one file on it. Guiding the mouse over, I clicked to open it, and cursed as Youngjae’s face filled the screen. Bile rose in my throat at the sight of blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth, and I turned to spit into the trash can before sinking down into Himchan’s chair, head in my hands as I stared at the picture, my eyes narrowing at the card Youngjae held, the words _Don’t mess with the Kumiho_ scrawled across it. It didn’t make sense, I thought Leetuk and I were on good terms. Unless…

            My head snapped up, glaring at Jongup, and before I knew it, I was across the garage, grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket and dragging him to his feet.

            “Where is he?” I screamed, shaking him.

            He winced, but I didn’t care if I was hurting him. In fact, I wanted him to hurt, wanting to hurt him like he had hurt my family. I kept shaking him, slamming him against the wall, seeing Youngjae’s face, sweet, innocent Youngjae…

            Through the haze of my anger, I thought I heard Himchan, but it wasn’t until he was pulling me away from Jongup that I snapped out of it.

            “What the hell are you doing?” he yelled.

            “The Kumiho have Jae and it’s all his fault,” I screamed, my vocal cords breaking.

            Himchan’s face went white. “What are you talking about?” he whispered.

            “Go look,” I said, pointing to the computer.

            Himchan ran over to his desk, gripping the back of his chair until his knuckles went white. “Fuck,” he breathed.

            “What the hell’s going on?”

            Himchan’s head snapped up, and I whirled around, tasting bile again when I saw Daehyun standing in the garage doorway.

            “Dae, what are you doing here? You had the day off,” I said, staring at him in shock.

            “I forgot something, but that’s not important. Yongguk, tell me what the hell is going on!” Dae pointed to Jongup. “Why is he here?”

            “The Kumiho took Jae,” Himchan said softly.

            Dae paled, then turned and headed towards Jongup. I ran over and grabbed him, holding him back as he screamed, “This is all your fault! Let me go Yongguk! I’m going to kill him I swear to God!”

            “It won’t do any good Dae,” I said. “Trust me, I already tried it.”

            “It wouldn’t hurt for me to give it a go,” he muttered darkly, but he stopped fighting me.

            I let him go warily, but he didn’t make another move, just stood still, staring at Jongup, his fists clenched. “We’ve got to get him back,” he said quietly.

            “How?” Himchan demanded. “It’s the fucking Kumiho.”

            “I can help.”

            All three of us whipped our heads over to Jongup, who was still leaning against the wall, arm held tight over his ribcage.

            “I know Noir like the back of my hand—I know where they’re keeping him.”

            “No.” Himchan said, reading my mind.

            “Yongguk,” Dae said, turning to me, pleading in his eyes.

            “We’ll get him back,” I assured him. “Without him.”

            “You’ll never find him,” Jongup said, leaning his head against the wall. “There are parts of Noir no one knows exists except for Kumiho. Plus,” he opened his eyes and looked at me. “You’ll be outgunned.”

            “And how do you suggest we fix that?” Himchan spat.

            Jongup grinned, a sight made terrifying by the blood lining his teeth. “I’ve got a key. We’ll go in the morning. Everyone is sleeping off their hangovers; we’ll be in and out before they even know we were there.”

            “Why do you want to help us?” Dae asked, eyes narrowed.

            “Who do you think did this to me?”

            My eyes cut over to Himchan. The muscle in the corner of his jaw was ticking, and he had lit a cigarette, but a long line of ash marked how long it had been since he had taken a drag—if at all. He looked over at me, eyes full of questions, none of which I had the answers to. Every instinct I had was telling me to not trust Jongup, that we could never trust him. But he was right, goddamnit. Without him, we’d never be able to get Youngjae back. I sighed, and Himchan echoed me, flicking his cigarette and taking a drag.

“After this, we finish things, once and for all,” he said quietly to me, before stalking over to Jongup, jabbing his chest with a finger. “You get us Youngjae, and then I never want to see your face again. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Jongup smirked.

“Let’s take this into my office,” I said. “Dae, get the door.”

Looking back now, knowing what I know, I’d still have made the choices I made that day. I honestly had no other options. No matter how many deals with the devil you have to make, family is worth it.


	8. Himchan

            The mood was solemn as the four of us climbed into the white, windowless van; Jongup in the front, the rest of us crammed in the back pretending to not be as nervous as we were. My eyes flickered over often to Zelo, my gut aching and fingers itching for the calming ritual of a cigarette. _He shouldn’t be here_ I thought, glancing over at Yongguk, who was staring blankly ahead, flicking his lighter open and shut.

            I had fought him on this, violently. Risking my life, I was fine with, and Yongguk and Daehyun were big boys; but Zelo…. He was too young, too inexperienced, just too everything to be here. But he was, and seeing him hold a gun made me sick, but not as sick as the way his eyes kept shifting over to Jongup, fear and distrust in his eyes did.

            We had told him everything, and it had broken my heart seeing the last bit of innocence fall from his eyes as he learned what had happened to his friend. It had been unsaid, but we all knew that Jongup had had a bigger part that he was letting on, but we were all too worried about Youngjae to care—especially Daehyun. Youngjae had been the first to welcome him into the shop, his ever present cheerful smile on his face as he had offered his hand. With that handshake, the two of them had become best friends, and now, that friend was in the hands of one of the most dangerous gangs in this town.

            The van came to a stop, and I looked over at Yongguk. “You remember the plan?” I asked, and he nodded, Dae and Zelo joining in. “Then let’s go.”

            We exited the van, Jongup leading us through an alley to a back door. Pulling out a key, he slid it into the lock, but it wouldn’t turn.

             He cursed under his breath. “They changed the locks,” he muttered, and Zelo looked at me wildly.

            “What are we going to do?” he hissed, and Dae shoved his gun into his hand, muttering, “Hold this,” as he pulled out two slender pieces of metal.

            Inserting them into the lock, he jiggled them around until the lock clicked, and he swung the door open, taking his gun back and jabbing Jongup in the back. “Lead the way.”

            We traveled through the back of the club, creeping through the kitchen to a door that lead down to the basement. It was like Jongup had said, there was no one around, but Yongguk and I checked every door we passed, Zelo and Dae covering us from behind, and Jongup waiting impatiently in the lead. Everything was going according to plan until we swung open a door labeled Surveillance Room.

            “What the hell?” Jaeho snarled as he spun around, but that’s all he had time to do before Jongup swung his gun up and shot him point blank in the chest.

            But he didn’t stop there, just kept firing shot after shot, a strange mixture of anger and glee in his eyes until I barked, “Jongup!” and grabbed his arm.

            His eyes collided with mine, and the rage that lived in their depths sent shivers down my spine, but I hide my fear as I raised my gun to his temple and said in a level tone, “Step out of line one more time, deviate from the plan one more time again, and you’re dead… understand?”

            Jongup smirked. “You and I… we’re not that different… are we?” he whispered.

            Two years ago, he wouldn’t have been wrong, and maybe that’s why I hadn’t trusted him from the beginning, because I had seen the old me in his eyes; the one who used to spiral out of control and let the red haze take over. But I had battled those demons, and won, but now, my careful control was starting to break.

            “Channie, we found him. Let’s go,” Yongguk said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

            Slowly, I lowered my gun, pushing Jongup to the front of the room. “Lead.”

            We left the surveillance room and crept down a hallway that emptied out into a cavern that was full of crates and barrels, and Yongguk motioned for Daehyun and Zelo to stay back. “Watch our exit,” he said, Daehyun listening for once and training his gun down the hallway we’d come from.

            Yongguk and I followed Jongup across the warehouse, heading down a long hallway that ended in a metal door. Jongup looked over his shoulder, waiting for our nods before swinging open the door to reveal Youngjae, tied to a chair.

            “Jae,” I cried, running forward to him and flicking open a knife, cutting his bonds.

            “Hey Channie,” he whispered, standing with a wince.

            “We’d better get going,” Jongup said, and Youngjae’s head snapped around.

            “What the hell are you doing here?” he hissed, and I glanced at Yongguk.

            “I’m leading the rescue mission,” Jongup said, an odd glint in his eyes.

            “Like hell you are,” Youngjae spit, lunging at him.

            “Jae,” Yongguk said, the steel in his voice bringing Youngjae to a halt. “We’ll settle everything once we’re out of here.”

            “Fine, but I don’t want him behind me.”

            “We’re in agreement there,” Yongguk said wryly, motioning at Jongup with his gun. “Get us out.”

            We made it down the hall, only to be greeted with a hail of bullets once we reached the entrance to the warehouse.

            “What the hell,” Yongguk growled.

            “I think someone found Jaeho,” I said, ducking my head around the corner.

            Zelo and Daehyun were pinned down, trading fire with six men. One of them saw me and switched his stance, but my gun was up and fired, a bullet ripping through his chest before he could take a shot. Yongguk had begun firing back, aiming at legs and arms.

            “Guk, now’s not the time to be nice,” I shouted, taking out another shooter.

            I spared a look back at Jongup and Youngjae, pulling out my ankle gun and throwing it at Jae. “We need to get to the others. Guk, go first, I’ll cover you. Jae, go with him.”

            They nodded, ducking down and moving from barrel to crate. I sucked in a breath when a bullet got too close to Yongguk, taking out the man who had fired it before he could try again, sighing in relief when they joined Daehyun and Zelo.

            “Jongup, go.”

            “And I’m just supposed to trust you.”

            “Yes.”

            He snorted, but then ducked down and followed the path the other two had taken. I may have let a few bullets whizz by his head, but he made it there safely. Then, ducking down, I started to cross myself. Between myself and Dae and Zelo, we had taken out four of the shooters, but the others still had plenty of ammo, and I was running out. I popped up from behind a crate, taking aim at a man I recognized from the poker night, only to have my gun just click, and then I felt a searing pain tear through my shoulder.


	9. Jongup

            I heard, rather than saw Himchan get shot, turning around in enough time to see him hit the ground, clutching his left shoulder.

            “Channie!” Yongguk yelled, starting towards his friend, but Youngjae had started to turn pale and was leaning on him, hindering his movements.

            “I’ve got him,” I yelled, and I could tell Yongguk wanted to blow me off, but a bullet whizzed by him and he flinched before nodding at me.

            “Let’s go,” he shouted, and he and Dae began to drag Youngjae out, Zelo covering them.

            I ducked behind some crates, and then leaned around, easily taking out Taeil, leaving Siwon the last man standing, and he was never one to risk his life. Shooting off a few rounds with a snarled curse, he ran back down the tunnel, and I straightened up and walked over to where Himchan laid, a pool of blood spreading from his shoulder.

            I crouched beside him, a smile slowly spreading across my face.

            “Just do it already,” he grunted, closing his eyes.

            “Do what?”

            “Shoot me. I know there’s no way you’re letting me walk out of here.”

            “You’re right about that,” I said slowly, running my finger down the barrel of my gun.

            “Just tell me one thing—why?”

            “Why what?”

            “Why did you attack my family?”

            I paused, staring down at him, then said, “It started out as a way to prove myself—my father thinks I don’t have leadership potential, and promoted fucking Jaeho over his own son.”

            “That’s why you shot him.”

            “No, I shot Jaeho because he stole Youngjae from me,” I said, smirking at Himchan’s shocked expression. “That’s right, I’m the one who kidnapped Youngjae. Jaeho followed me, and the bastard ruined my plans, just like he’s been doing since he joined this fucking crew.”

            “Why….why Youngjae?”

  I shrugged. “At first it was going to be Daehyun, or his girlfriend, but plans change. Honestly, there’s probably some psychoanalytical bullshit that can be said about it all, but really…”

            I paused, leaning closer to Himchan’s face to whisper, “I did it because I could,” as I pulled out my knife, a thrill running down my spine as his face paled.


	10. Yongguk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the last chapter!!   
> I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read this little story, and I'd love to hear what you guys thought, what you liked, what you wanted more of...etc.   
> Also, now that this is done, I hopefully be working on the BamBam fic I started to post, and other stories in the future!  
> Stay tuned, and thanks again for reading my story!  
> A.

            I pulled up to the shop and killed the motor on my bike, taking off my helmet and surveyed the garage I had called my home for the last five years.

            It had been two months, but I still couldn’t get the image of Jongup dragging Himchan’s body out of the warehouse, that odd glint in his eyes as he said I’d need a new second in command. I still don’t know who it was that raised my arm, steely tone in his voice as they said, “But it won’t be you,” before pulling the trigger of my gun, but it hadn’t felt like me.

            Zelo and Dae had stared at me in shock, but I had just turned around and handed my gun to Daehyun before picking up my best friend’s body and carrying him out of Noir.

            It hadn’t been the same since then. There were times I still looked over at his desk, expecting to see his sly smirk, cigarette dangling from his fingers. Instead, I’d find Daehyun’s girlfriend, who had taken over Himchan’s responsibilities. She did it well enough, but there was something missing just the same.

            I found it hard to come in most days, the joy of tinkering with engines seemingly buried with my best friend, but Leetuk, in a bizarre thank you for “taking care of his problem” had gifted me Noir, and despite its history, I had thrown myself into turning it into a legitimate jazz club. I had found that spending time in the club was helping me heal, but I still preferred for Daehyun to take over most of the responsibilities of the shop, content to just drop in from time to time.

            I walk through the door, smiling at Youngjae and Zelo, who were joking around as usual, shooting some sort of line at Daehyun as he came in from the back room, wiping off his hands.

            “Morning Yongguk,” Euna said with her sweet smile, and I turned to reply to her, and felt my breath catch in my throat, as I swore I saw Himchan leaning against his desk, cigarette in one hand as he laughed at his boys.

            He turned to face me, and our eyes connected. He smiled at me, nodding his head before fading away, leaving me staring at Euna with a wistful smile.

“Is everything okay Yongguk?” she asked, and I chuckled softly, rubbing the back of my neck as I said, “Everything’s fine… just lost in memory.”

            She smiled at me before turning to face her computer screen again, and I inhaled deeply. _Everything will be okay,_ I thought, a sense of peace coming over me.

            Because I knew now that 1004 Automotive had gained itself a guardian angel, and with Himchan looking over us, nothing could hurt us again.


End file.
